First times a Charm

When his dad called  and quizzed me about my plans to take his boy out ice fishing I could hear the  hesitation in his voice.  The recent accidental  drowning  of  Packers coach , Joe Philbin’s  son and several other deaths  related to the  ice,  safety has been brought to the forefront for most fisherman.  I assured him we would be on our best behavior for his first outing.  Right now  Lake Winnebago has a few bays on the West 

side  that have ice but the main lake  basin is still looking like Swiss cheese.The bays have ice varying from 3 to 7 inches. I felt pretty honored that someone put enough faith in my  outdoor talents  to release their child to me for his very  first ice  outing.Its really the ultimate complement  for a guide or just a person in general . 

 Although fishing was slow Peter Streblow managed his very first perch through the ice. Ice fishing is as safe as you make it and taking chances usually ends up getting people in trouble fast. The recent cold snap is great for making ice but don’t get a false sense of security.Last week ,there was open patches on the lake  that now are iced over and covered by a layer of snow.  Who knows how much ice is under that snow so we still need to use caution . The fish are biting on  Lake Winnebago  and most can come up and enjoy it  if they use common sense and extreme caution . 

Contact the sport shops, talk to a guide or other local fisherman before you venture out. Go in a group and don’t be the great explorer . If you  have questions pertaining to Lake Winnebago I can be reached at fdloutdoors@gmail.com or visit our site www. fonddulacoutdoors.com to see updated reports. We didn’t catch a lot today but the boys had fun .

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